


You Can't Bottle the Sun, but Dammit, You're Going to Try

by Momma_Time



Series: Soft Nines [8]
Category: Detroit: Become Human (Video Game)
Genre: Fluff, Idk but I had this idea and I wanted to try and be a little more descriptive in one of my fics, Local man thinks he's dying but really he's just smitten, M/M, Promise, RK1700 - Freeform, it's cute, more at 11, so y'all get this fluffy mess
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-02
Updated: 2018-10-02
Packaged: 2019-07-23 16:45:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,455
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16162883
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Momma_Time/pseuds/Momma_Time
Summary: Nines has been feeling off lately, and it's Connor's fault.He doesn't know why it's Connor's fault, but it must be.





	You Can't Bottle the Sun, but Dammit, You're Going to Try

**Author's Note:**

> This is disgustingly sweet fluff. What else do you want me to say???
> 
> This is part of the soft nines series, but also set apart because this one is actually blatantly shippy, whereas the others are vague and left for you to imagine the type of relationship they have with one another. So, just think of this as an alternate timeline in the series, alright?

Seeing Connor this happy and excited came with...some kind of new feeling. He didn't quite understand it, but he did wish that he could figure it out sooner rather than later.  
  
It was like seeing the first light in the morning, with the sun peeking out over the horizon when he smiled. His laugh was lighter than the sound of windchimes but sweeter. It left him breathless, gasping for the air he didn't need. The way his eyes crinkled, how they brightened his eyes, of what you could see of them through the squint that marked his amusement.  
  
The feeling in Nine's chest when he witnessed the uninhibited joy, made him sick to his stomach. He was worried that something was wrong with him. Nines found a corner and ran a thorough search for any anomalies in his systems. There weren't any viruses, and none of his biocomponents were malfunctioning. Everything was working perfectly.  
  
So what was wrong?  
  
"Nines? Are you unwell?"  
  
Nines opened his eyes to find Connor kneeling in front of the chair Nines had claimed for himself, eyes filled with concern, always so concerned for him. How could an android, even a deviated one, show so much emotion? Could even humans do that? How could Connor do something that Nines couldn't? Nines was supposed to be the more advanced of the two and yet Connor just...surpassed him.  
  
And he didn't seem to be falling apart at the seams like Nines over someone smiling.  
  
"I am okay, Connor, but thank you for your concern."  
  
"The frown on your face tells me otherwise."  
  
"I'm fine," he assured him, voice firmer. Well, that was the intention, but it wound up sounding like he'd snapped at Connor. The slight jump, the older android being startled by what appeared to be a venomous reply, was not what Nines intended. He didn't want Connor to look like that; Nines didn't want to be the reason Connor looked like that.  
  
He closed his eyes a moment to compose himself before speaking. "I apologize. That was uncalled for."  
  
Connor tried to smile, but it looked a little strained, awkward. "Forgiven."  
  
"I believe you mentioned shopping for clothes for the fall season? You do realize that we don't need to do so to stay warm." Nines stood slowly and fixed his suit jacket.  
  
"I know, but I wanted to buy some anyway. Come on; it'll be fun, Nines. Please?"  
  
Ra9 preserve him, Nines couldn't say no to those eyes. Why couldn't he say no? He should be able to, and yet, despite his negotiating system's ability to talk his way out of these things, they screeched to a halt in the face of Connor pleading for whatever he wanted.  
  
"Fine." Nines took in the giddy smile on Connor's face, lips twitching towards a soft smile. The sun came out again, Nines observed. "However, I get to pick out at least one outfit for you. No matter how ugly it is, you have to wear it."  
  
The smile was gone, replaced with horror. "Please, don't make me dress like Hank. I couldn't--"  
  
"Relax. I'm not that cruel, Connor." Nines motioned for Connor to go. "Lead the way."  
  
\--  
  
Nines ran another diagnostic while Connor tried on the clothes he'd picked out. He ran one after Connor went back into the fitting room. Every. Single. Time. Nines couldn't figure it out. Why did he feel like he was crashing, that his systems were stuttering and glitching? His voice wasn't working right either. Staticy or changing pitch and shit, he had to have a problem in his programming.  
  
Connor was beginning to notice that something was wrong by the fifth outfit he stepped out to show Nines. Nines looked ready to faint, or puke. Or like he'd seen a ghost or something.  
  
"Nines? You're not...are you sure you're okay?" Connor moved closer and held out his hand to interface with Nines.  
  
Nines jerked away before Connor could touch him. "No! I think...I think I...I'm not sure."  
  
"Okay. What do you feel? What have you noticed?"  
  
"I don't...I don't know how to put it into words." He knew several languages, and yet he couldn't figure out what words to use to describe the problem.  
  
Connor deadpanned. He was thinking the same as Nines. All of that information and he couldn't use any of it. "You were fine for a while there, then you sort of...went downhill, but you weren't right earlier either. What has this coming and going? Um, what are the common factors?"  
  
"You."  
  
"Me."  
  
"Yes."  
  
Connor rubbed a hand over his face and then through his hair. It messed up the coifed style Connor normally maintained. Nines' hands itched to touch it, to run his own hands through it to see how it felt, if he could muss it further, and imagined all of the reasons he could have to do it. He remembered reading something about how fresh, baby grass feels like silk beneath your feet, your hands when you barely brush them over the soft blades. He wondered if Connor's hair was like that, or was it more like a stuffed toy's? No, it would feel like Connor, he concluded. He didn't need anything else to describe the way it felt under his fingers. Well, Nines assumed that that would be the case, but he wouldn't know until he tested it.  
  
He gave in to the urge, removing his glove before reaching up to do as he imagined. Connor froze under the touch. The thought that maybe this was a virus of some kind had crossed his mind. If it was, was Nines going to hurt him or try to forcibly infect him or not? But his touch was gentle and almost loving. It had Connor pressing into the contact rather than pulling away, soaking in the achingly tender touch.  
  
It was just as soft as Nines imagined, uniquely Connor. Soft, featherlight against his synthetic skin and it almost tickled. What would happen if he tugged on it? Would it make Connor wince in discomfort or would he become putty in Nines' hand? Just running his fingers through it had Connor melting into the touch, perhaps he would respond well to a pull, in a different situation.  
  
Nines didn't realize that his eyes had closed until he felt the warmth radiating from Connor's face. Shit. What was he doing?  
  
"Mommy? Are they going to kiss?"  
  
It was like the spell had broken between them and they jerked apart, staring at one another and blushing. A kid had caught them, had pointed out the obvious to them that they had been missing.  
  
"I think, I know what's going on." And then there was that smile again, the one that left Nines speechless and wishing he could bottle up the happiness he saw there. "You've got that look on your face again, the one from earlier. You almost look drunk."  
  
Could someone be drunk on the sound of someone's voice or of the way their eyes drew you in? Maybe that's what was wrong.  
  
The smile only grew as Connor closed the space between them again, pecking him on the cheek. Okay, there went Nines' systems. Everything shut down right there, and there were flashes of red warnings popping up about things Nines didn't care to think about. He knew damn well what they meant, and it wouldn't kill him; this was...a good kind of stress.  
  
"Um."  
  
"If it makes you feel any better, I think I've had the same problem."  
  
"I uh...oh. I think I get it now." Nines rubbed at the back of his neck, avoiding Connor's soft gaze. He couldn't handle that look, not when it was directed at him. It made him feel off and led to "daydreams" of doing everything he could to make Connor look at him like that again.  
  
"We're both idiots."  
  
Nines huffed a laugh, "We're the most advanced androids, and yet we couldn't figure this one out."  
  
Connor laughed and lightly pushed Nines' shoulder. Ra9, Nines didn't want Connor to stop touching his shoulder. "Let me finish trying on clothes, and we can, um, talk about this at home."  
  
Honestly, if Nines could just sit in front of Connor and study every feature again and again as he expressed every emotion known to man, Nines would count himself lucky.  
  
Fucking hell, he was supposed to be above trivial feelings like love and yet here he was, smitten with the android he was made to replace. Was this what it felt like? It felt incredible and hurt at the same time, and Nines didn't know how to cope with it.  
  
"I'll hold you to that," he murmured.

**Author's Note:**

> Crits? Thoughts? Prompts?  
> Leave a comment below or come say hi on Tumblr at ixhadbadxdays


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